Electronic equipment data center or co-location facility designs and methods of making and using the same

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to electronic equipment data center or co-location facility designs and methods of making and using the same in an environmentally aware manner, and generally provides apparatus and methods for using novel support bracket structures, and thermal panels associated with the same, that allow for distinct partitioning of air flowing in hot aisles and cold aisles, as well as for holding wiring above cabinets that are used to store electronic equipment in the facility.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S.application Ser. No. 12/168,771 filed on Jun. 13, 2008, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Appln. No. 60/944,082 filed Jun. 14, 2007entitled “Electronic Equipment Data Center or Co-Location FacilityDesigns and Methods of Making and Using the Same,” which application isexpressly incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to electronic equipment data center orco-location facility designs and methods of making and using the same inan environmentally aware manner.

BACKGROUND

Data centers and server co-location facilities are well-known. In suchfacilities, rows of electronics equipment, such as servers, typicallyowned by different entities, are stored. In many facilities, cabinetsare used in which different electronics equipment is stored, so thatonly the owners of that equipment, and potentially the facilityoperator, have access therein. In many instances, the owner of thefacilities manages the installation and removal of servers within thefacility, and is responsible for maintaining utility services that areneeded for the servers to operate properly. These utility servicestypically include providing electrical power for operation of theservers, providing telecommunications ports that allow the servers toconnect to transmission grids that are typically owned bytelecommunication carriers, and providing air-conditioning services thatmaintain temperatures in the facility at sufficiently low levels.

There are some well-known common aspects to the designs of thesefacilities. For example, it is known to have the electronic equipmentplaced into rows, and further to have parallel rows of equipmentconfigured back-to back so that each row of equipment generally forcesthe heat from the electronic equipment toward a similar area, known as ahot aisle, as that aisle generally contains warmer air that results fromthe forced heat from the electronics equipment. In the front of theequipment is thus established a cold aisle.

There are different systems for attempting to collect hot air thatresults from the electronics equipment, cooling that hot air, and thenintroducing cool air to the electronics equipment. Theseair-conditioning systems also must co-exist with power andcommunications wiring for the electronics equipment. Systems in whichthe electronics equipment is raised above the floor are well-known, asinstalling the communications wiring from below the equipment has beenperceived to offer certain advantages. Routing wiring without raisedfloors is also known—though not with systematic separation of power anddata as described herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to electronic equipment data center orco-location facility designs and methods of making and using the same inan environmentally aware manner.

The present invention generally provides apparatus and methods for usingnovel support bracket structures, and thermal panels associated with thesame, that allow for distinct partitioning of air flowing in hot aislesand cold aisles, as well as for holding wiring above cabinets that areused to store electronic equipment in the facility.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a facility for maintainingelectronic equipment disposed in a plurality of cage cabinets at a cooltemperature using a plurality of air conditioning units, the cagecabinets positioned in at least one row so that the electronic equipmentdisposed therein emit heated air in a predetermined direction from thecage cabinets to establish a hot aisle, and an opposite side of the rowestablishing a cold aisle, the plurality of air conditioning unitsreceiving heated air and emitting cooled air. In this aspect, thefacility comprises:

a floor on which the plurality of cage cabinets are disposed in the atleast one row, the floor being within a space that has walls that definea room;

a plurality of support brackets disposed along the row, so that aportion of each of the support bracket is disposed above the pluralityof cage cabinets;

a thermal shield supported by the at least some of the plurality ofsupport brackets, the thermal shield providing a contiguous wall arounda hot air area above the at least one row of electronic cabinets todefine a warm exhaust channel that traps the heated air within theenclosure area and causes substantially all the heated air within theenclosure area to rise up within the warm exhaust channel;

a space separated from the room in which the plurality of airconditioning units are disposed;

a warm air escape channel disposed above the warm exhaust channel, thewarm air escape channel feeding the heated air to the plurality of airconditioning units; and

a cool air channel that connects between the air conditioning system andthe cold aisle, the cool air channel delivering cool air from theplurality of air conditioning units to the cool aisle.

In another aspect, the invention provides an apparatus for separatingwarm air from cooler air, the warmer air being produced within anenclosure area bounded by a plurality of cage cabinets positioned sothat electronic equipment disposed therein emit heated air into theenclosure area, the cage cabinets positioned in at least one row so thatthe electronic equipment disposed therein emit heated air from in eachin a predetermined direction from the cage cabinets to establish a hotaisle, and an opposite side of the row establishing a cold aisle. Inthis aspect, the apparatus comprises:

a plurality of support brackets disposed along the row, so that aportion of each of the support bracket is disposed above the pluralityof cage cabinets; and

a thermal shield supported by the at least some of the plurality ofsupport brackets, the thermal shield providing a contiguous wall arounda hot air area above the at least one row of electronic cabinets todefine a warm exhaust channel that traps the heated air within theenclosure area and causes substantially all the heated air within theenclosure area to rise up within the warm exhaust channel.

In another aspect, the plurality of support brackets according to theinvention may each further include a plurality of tiered ladder racksupports having ladder racks thereover to establish a plurality ofdifferent tiers outside the contiguous wall, so that each of thedifferent tiers is adapted to hold a different type of transmission linethat is substantially shielded from the heated air.

In a further aspect, the present invention includes a method of forminga facility for housing electrical equipment. This aspect of theinvention comprises the steps of:

determining a location for at least a one row of cage cabinets that willhouse the electrical equipment, the at least one row of cage cabinetsdefining an enclosure area so that electronic equipment disposed withinthe cabinets will emit heated air in a predetermined direction from theelectronic cabinets toward the enclosure area;

mounting a plurality of support brackets in relation to the row of cagecabinets so that at least a portion of each of the support brackets isdisposed above the cage cabinets; and

mounting a contiguous wall around the enclosure area above the cagecabinets using the support brackets to define the warm exhaust channelso that that substantially all warm air within the enclosure area risesup within the warm exhaust channel; and

distributing wiring to at least some of the cage cabinets, the step ofdistributing separating each of a plurality of different types of wiringon each of a plurality of different ladder racks, each of the pluralityof different ladder racks being mounted on a ladder rack support thatconnects to at least some of the plurality of support brackets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and features of the present invention willbecome apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of thefollowing description of specific embodiments of the invention inconjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein:

FIG. 1(a) illustrates a floor design used in a data center orco-location facility according to the present invention.

FIG. 1(b) illustrates floor-based components disposed over the floordesign according to the present invention.

FIG. 1(c) illustrates a perspective cut-away view along line c-c fromFIG. 1(a) of FIG. 1(a) according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2(a)-(c) illustrate various cut-away perspective views of thethermal compartmentalization and cable and conduit routing systemaccording to the present invention.

FIGS. 3(a) and (b) illustrate modular thermal shields used in thethermal compartmentalization and cable and conduit routing systemaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates illustrate a telecommunication bracket used in thethermal compartmentalization and cable and conduit routing systemaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides data center or co-location facilitydesigns and methods of making and using the same. The data center orco-location facility designs have certain features that will be apparentherein and which allow many advantages in terms of efficient use ofspace, efficient modular structures that allow for efficiency in theset-up of co-location facility and the set-up of the electronicsequipment in the facility, as well as efficient air-conditioning withinthe facility. Each of these features has aspects that are distinct ontheir own, and combinations of these features also exist that are alsounique.

FIG. 1(a) illustrates a floor design used in a data center orco-location facility according to the present invention. The preferredembodiment discussed herein uses parallel rows of equipment configuredback-to back so that each row of equipment generally forces the heatfrom the electronic equipment towards a hot aisle, thus alsoestablishing a cold aisle in the front of the equipment. The cold aislesin FIG. 1(a) are illustrated at the dotted line block 60, wherein thehot aisles are illustrated at the dotted line block 62. One feature ofthe present invention is the provision for marking the floor 50 toexplicitly show the various areas of the facility. As illustrated, thehot aisle 62 has a central area 52 that is tiled, painted, taped orotherwise marked to indicate that it is center area of the hot aisle 62.The typical dimensions of the central area 52 are typically in the rangeof 2′-4′ across the width, with a row length corresponding to the numberof electronic cabinets in the row. Marking with tiles is preferable asthe marking will last, and tiles that are red in color, corresponding tothe generation of heat, have been found preferable. Around this centerarea 52 is a perimeter area 54, over which the cabinets are installed.This perimeter area 54 is marked in another manner, such as using a greytile that is different in color from the center area 52. Around theperimeter area 54 is an outside area 56, which is marked in yet adifferent manner, such as using a light grey tile. The placement ofthese markings for areas 52, 54 and 56 on the floor of the facility,preferably prior to moving any equipment onto the floor, allows for avisual correspondence on the floor of the various hot and cold aisles.In particular, when installing cabinets over the perimeter 54 are, thearea that is for the front of the cabinet that will face the cold aisle,and thus the area for the back of the cabinet for the hot aisle, isreadily apparent.

FIG. 1(b) illustrates floor-based components disposed over the floordesign of the co-location facility according to the present invention.FIG. 1(b) also shows additional area of the floor, which in thisembodiment is provided to illustrate interaction of the electronicsequipment with the evaporators of the air conditioning units. In theembodiment described with respect to FIG. 1(b), certain features areincluded so that conventional equipment, particularly conventional airconditioning equipment, can effectively be used while still creating thedesired air flow patterns of the present invention as described herein.

Before describing the components in FIG. 1(b), an aspect of the presentinvention is to isolate the hot air exhaust from the areas that requirecooling as much as possible, and to also create air flows in which theair moves through the exhaust system, into the air conditioning system,through the air conditioning ducts and out to the cool equipment in avery rapid manner. In particular, the amount of circulation establishedaccording to the present invention moves air at a volume such that theentire volume of air in the facility recirculates at least once every 10minutes, preferably once every 5 minutes, and for maximum cooling onceevery minute. It has been found that this amount of recirculation, incombination with the air flows established by the present invention,considerably reduce the temperature in the facility in anenvironmentally efficient manner, thus saving energy, as describedherein.

Cabinets 110 shown in FIG. 1(b) are placed generally over the sides ofthe perimeter 54 as described, in rows, which cabinets are formed ascages in order to allow air to flow through them. Different rows arethus shown with cabinets 110(a-f), with each letter indicating adifferent row. Also included within the rows are telecommunicationsequipment 170 to which the electronics equipment in each of the cabinets110 connect as described further herein, as well as power equipment 180that is used to supply power along wires to the electronics equipment ineach of the cabinets 110 connect as described further herein. Airconditioning units include the evaporator units 120 (1-6) that are shownbeing physically separated by some type of barrier from the area 56described previously with respect to FIG. 1(a). The condenser units ofthe air conditioning system that receive the warmed refrigerant/wateralong lines 122 and are disposed outside the walls of the facility arenot shown. This physical separation is implemented in order to establishwarm exhaust channel area 240 from the physical space, which warm airarea connects to a separate warm air area in the ceiling and allow thewarm air to flow into the exhaust channel area 240 and enter into intakeducts of evaporator air conditioning equipment 120, as will bedescribed. This feature allows the usage of conventional evaporator airconditioning equipment that has air intakes at the bottom of the unit,as well as allows for usage of different air conditioning equipmenttypes, while still maintaining an efficient airflow throughout theentire facility.

FIG. 1(c) illustrates a perspective cut-away view along line c-c fromFIG. 1(a) of the FIG. 1(a) co-location facility according to the presentinvention. Additionally illustrated are the false ceiling 140 and theactual ceiling 150, which have a gap that is preferably at least 1.5-3feet and advantageously at least 15 feet, as the higher the ceiling themore the warm air rises (and thus also stays further away from theequipment in the cabinets 110). The false ceiling 140 is preferably madeof tiles that can be inserted into a suspended ceiling as is known,which tiles preferably have are drywall vinyl tiles, which exhibit agreater mass than many conventional tiles. Also shown are arrows thatillustrate the air flow being centrally lifted upward from the warmexhaust channel area 240 to the area between the false ceiling 140 andthe actual ceiling 150, and the flow within the ceiling toward the warmexhaust channel area 240, and then downward into the warm exhaustchannel area 240. Also shown are arrows that take cold air from the coldair ducts 310 and insert the air into the cold aisles 60.

Though the arrows in the drawing are directed straight downward, thevents themselves can be adjusted to allow for directional downward flowat various angles. In a preferred embodiment, each of the vents have aremote controlled actuator that allows for the offsite control of thevents, both in terms of direction and volume of air let out of eachvent. This allows precise control such that if a particular area isrunning hot, more cold air can be directed thereto, and this can bedetected (using detectors not shown), and then adjusted for offsite.

FIGS. 2(a)-(c) illustrate various cut-away perspective views of thethermal compartmentalization and cable and conduit routing systemaccording to the present invention. In particular, FIG. 2(a) illustratesa cut away view of a portion of the warm exhaust channel area 240, whichrests on top of the cabinets 110, and is formed of a plurality of thethermal shields 400 and 450, which are modular in construction and willbe described further hereinafter. Also illustrated are shield brackets500 that are mounted on top of the cabinets 110, and provide for themounting of the shields 400 and 450, as well as an area on top of thecabinets 110 to run power and telecommunications cables, as will bedescribed further herein.

Before describing the cabling, FIG. 2(b) and FIG. 4 illustrate theshield bracket 500, which is made of structurally sound materials, suchas steel with a welded construction of the various parts as described,molded plastic, or other materials. Ladder rack supports 510, 520, 530,540 and 550 are used to allow ladder racks 610, 620, 630, 640, and 650respectively, placed thereover as shown. The ladder racks are intendedto allow for a segregation of data and electrical power, and thereforean easier time not only during assembly, but subsequent repair. Theladder racks are attached to the ladder rack supports using supportstraps shown in FIG. 4, which are typically a standard “j” hook or avariant thereof. As also illustrated in FIG. 4, a support beamsstructure 506 provides extra support to the ladder rack, and the holes508 are used to secure the shields 400 and 450 thereto. Horizontalsupport plate 504 is used to support the bracket 500 on the cabinets110.

With respect to the cabling and conduit, these are used to provideelectrical power and data to the various servers in the facility.Conduit, also typically referred to as wiring, is used to provideelectricity. Cabling is used to provide data. In this system, it ispreferable to keep the electrical power and the data signals separated.

Within the system, ladder rack 610 is used for data cabling on the coldaisle side of the thermal shields 400. Ladder rack 620 is used for anA-source power conduit (for distribution of 110-480 volt power) on thecold aisle side of the thermal shields 400. Ladder rack 630 is used forB-source power conduit (for distribution of 110-480 volt power), whichis preferably entirely independent of A-source power conduit, on thecold aisle side of the thermal shields 400. Ladder rack 640 is used formiscellaneous cabling on the cold aisle side of the thermal shields 400.Ladder rack 650 is used for data cabling on the hot aisle side of thethermal shields 400. Each ladder rack can also be used for differentpurposes and still be within the scope of the present invention.

FIGS. 3(a) and (b) illustrate modular thermal shields 400 and 450,respectively, used in the thermal compartmentalization and cabling andconduit routing system according to the present invention. Both shields400 and 450 are made of a structurally sound material, including but notlimited to steel, a composite, or a plastic, and if a plastic, one thatpreferably has an air space between a front piece of plastic and a backpiece of plastic for an individual shield 400. Shield 400 includes athrough-hole 410 that allows for certain cabling, if needed, to runbetween the hot and cold aisle areas, through the shield 400. Athrough-hole cover (not shown) is preferably used to substantially closethe hole to prevent airflow therethrough. Shield 450 has a 90 degreeangle that allows the fabrication of corners.

It should be appreciated that the construction of the cabinets, theshields 400 and 450, and the shield supports 500 are all uniform andmodular, which allows for the efficient set-up of the facility, as wellas efficient repairs if needed.

Other different embodiments of data center or co-location facilitiesaccording to the present invention also exist. For example, while thefalse ceiling 140 is preferred, many advantageous aspects of the presentinvention can be achieved without it, though its presence substantiallyimproves airflow. Furthermore, the evaporation units for the airconditioning system can also be located outside the facility, in whichcase the chamber 240 is not needed, but hot air from the ceiling can bedelivered to evaporation units that are disposed above the ceiling,which is more efficient in that it allows the warm air to rise. If thecomplete air conditioning equipment is located outside, including theevaporators, the refrigerant/water lines 122 that are used to exchangethe refrigerant/water if the evaporators are disposed inside thefacility is not needed, which provides another degree of safety to theequipment therein.

It is noted that aspects of the present invention described herein canbe implemented when renovating an existing facility, and as such not allof the features of the present invention are necessarily used.

Although the present invention has been particularly described withreference to embodiments thereof, it should be readily apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art that various changes, modifications andsubstitutes are intended within the form and details thereof, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, itwill be appreciated that in numerous instances some features of theinvention will be employed without a corresponding use of otherfeatures. Further, those skilled in the art will understand thatvariations can be made in the number and arrangement of componentsillustrated in the above figures.

1. A structure for managing heat emitted by electronic equipment comprising: at least one cluster of cabinets disposed in two separated rows such that the rows of cabinets are positioned in a back-to-back configuration to establish a hot aisle enclosure area between the two separated rows and the front side of the cabinets establishes a portion of a cold aisle, the electronic equipment disposed in the cabinets emit heated air from the cabinets into the hot aisle enclosure area; a thermal shield extending upward from the cabinets to form a hot air area above the hot aisle enclosure area by providing a wall at a height above the two separated rows of cage cabinets to trap the heated air within the hot air area and the hot aisle enclosure area and cause substantially all of the heated air between the cabinets to be contained within the hot air area and the hot aisle enclosure area, the wall fully surrounds the hot air area above the at least one cluster of cabinets; at least one cable rack located above at least one of the rows of cabinets to support cables in the cold aisle; a warm air path disposed above the hot air area, the warm air path allowing the heated air to flow from the hot air area to an air conditioning system that includes an air conditioning unit located above the cabinets and a condenser that is disposed outside the walls of the facility, such that the warm air path is bounded by a barrier and one or more openings exist in the barrier through which heated air flows into the warm air path, and wherein a top edge of the thermal shield extends from the barrier to the cabinets to further prevent the heated air from escaping; and a cool air path between the air conditioning system and the cold aisle, the cool air path delivering cool air from the air conditioning system to the cold aisle.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the heated air rises from the cabinets in the hot aisle enclosure area toward the air conditioning units and air cooled by the air conditioning units falls toward the cabinets in the cool aisle.
 3. (canceled)
 4. The structure of claim 1 further comprising at least one support brackets that extend upward from a floor to support the thermal shield.
 5. The structure of claim 4 wherein the at least one support bracket also support one or more cable racks.
 6. The structure of claim 4 wherein the at least one support brackets are not connected to the cabinets.
 7. The structure of claim 1 wherein the barrier prevents the heated air from mixing with the cooled air.
 8. The structure of claim 1 wherein the top edge of the thermal shield connects to the barrier.
 9. A structure for managing heat emitted by electronic equipment comprising: at least one cluster of cabinets disposed in two separated rows such that the rows of cabinets are positioned in a back-to-back configuration to establish a hot aisle enclosure area between the two separated rows and the front side of the cage cabinets establishes a cold aisle, the electronic equipment disposed in the cabinets emit heated air from the cabinets into the hot aisle enclosure area; a thermal shield extending upward from the cabinets to form a hot air area above the hot aisle enclosure area by providing a wall at a height above the two separated rows of cage cabinets to trap the heated air within the hot air area and the hot aisle enclosure area and causes substantially all of the heated air between the cabinets to rise up and being contained within the hot air area and the hot aisle enclosure area, wherein the wall fully surrounds the hot aisle enclosure area from above the at least one cluster of cabinets; and a warm air channel disposed above the hot air area, the warm air channel providing a path for the heated air from the hot aisle enclosure area and hot air area to an air conditioning system, wherein the warm air channel is bounded by a barrier and an opening exists in the barrier through which heated air flows into the warm air channel, wherein a top edge of the thermal shield extends from the barrier to the cabinets to aid in separation of heated air from the cold aisle.
 10. The structure of claim 9 wherein the air conditioning system includes a condenser that is disposed outside the walls of the facility.
 11. The structure of claim 9 wherein the air conditioning system includes air conditioning units are located above the cabinets and the barrier such that heated air rises toward the air conditioning units and air cooled by the air conditioning units falls toward the cabinets in the cool aisle.
 12. (canceled)
 13. The structure of claim 9 further comprising at least one support bracket above the cabinets which support the thermal shield.
 14. The structure of claim 9 further comprising a rack configured to supports cables in the cool aisle above at least one row of cabinets.
 15. The structure of claim 9 wherein the top edge of the thermal shield connects to the barrier.
 16. A structure for managing heat emitted by electronic equipment comprising: at least one cluster of cabinets disposed in two separated rows such that the rows of cabinets are positioned in a back-to-back configuration to establish a hot aisle enclosure area between the two separated rows and the front side of the cabinets establishes a portion of a cold aisle, the electronic equipment disposed in the cabinets emit heated air from the cabinets into the hot aisle enclosure area; a thermal shield extending upward from the cabinets to form a hot air area above the hot aisle enclosure area by providing a wall at a height above the two separated rows of cage cabinets to trap the heated air within the hot air area and the hot aisle enclosure area and cause substantially all of the heated air between the cabinets to be contained within the hot air area and the hot aisle enclosure area; a warm air path disposed above the hot air area, the warm air path allowing the heated air to flow from the hot air area to one or more air conditioning systems; and a cool air path between the air conditioning system and the cold aisle, the cool air path delivering cool air from the air conditioning system to the cold aisle.
 17. The structure of claim 16 wherein one or more elements of the air conditioning system are located outside of a building which houses the cabinet and one or more elements of the air conditioning system are located inside the building which houses the cabinets.
 18. The structure of claim 16 wherein the air conditioning units are located above the cabinets and the barrier such that heated air rises toward the air conditioning units and air cooled by the air conditioning units falls toward the cabinets in the cool aisle.
 19. The structure of claim 16 wherein the air conditioning system includes a condenser that is disposed outside the walls of the facility.
 20. The structure of claim 16 wherein the cabinets are disposed on a non-raised floor.
 21. The structure of claim 16 further comprising one or more support brackets above the cabinets which support the thermal shield.
 22. The structure of claim 21 wherein the one or more support brackets are not connected to the cabinets. 